D&D General Classic Gold Box D&D CRPGs coming to Steam

[Demetrios1453]

Classic Dungeons & Dragons 'Gold Box' games are coming to Steam

The classic Dungeons & Dragons 'Gold Box' PC games are coming to Steam later in March, including the 'Eye of the Beholder' series.

www.engadget.com

If you want some late '80s/early '90s nostalgia, you can get it starting March 28th from Steam (they're already available on GOG, but Steam is more accessable). Despite their very archaic graphics, clunky UI, and 1e/2e rule set (high level non-humans? Hahaha, no.), they're still fun to play if you can handle the limitations....

 

[darjr]

There is some lore in them too. Though I think all of it is on the net.

 

[Count_Zero]

If you do pick these up, I would recommend getting Gold Box Companion to play them with.

Gold Box Companion

Gold Box Companion is a tool to help playing SSI's AD&D Gold Box games.

gbc.zorbus.net

GBC has a whole bunch of quality-of-life features, like "auto-map" and "will look up journal entries for you so you don't need to have the Journal open in a PDF reader all the time" and "activate level up without having to leave a dungeon and travel to a trainer." Sadly not "Ignore encumbrance" though, because the games operate on AD&D 1e RAW, so your money has encumbrance - and also doesn't have any form of bank you can deposit your money at.

 

[Demetrios1453]

If you do pick these up, I would recommend getting Gold Box Companion to play them with.

Gold Box Companion

Gold Box Companion is a tool to help playing SSI's AD&D Gold Box games.

gbc.zorbus.net

GBC has a whole bunch of quality-of-life features, like "auto-map" and "will look up journal entries for you so you don't need to have the Journal open in a PDF reader all the time" and "activate level up without having to leave a dungeon and travel to a trainer." Sadly not "Ignore encumbrance" though, because the games operate on AD&D 1e RAW, so your money has encumbrance - and also doesn't have any form of bank you can deposit your money at.

I was literally just wondering if that, or something similar, will be added to the Workshop for the titles. I'd love to see it, and other mods, become available (and new ones made!)

Other QoL improvements are the removal of level limits for non-humans, and the ability to play paladins and rangers in PoR...


(Speaking of encumbrance from money, one of the great gotcha moments is in PoR, when after defeating the kobold king, you just unthinkingly choose to pick up the coins in the treasure unseen from the menu like you've always done up to this point - just to find out the kobolds had hoarded like 20k copper pieces, and now you're fully encumbered until you drop it).

 

[Weiley31]

Sadly not "Ignore encumbrance" though, because the games operate on AD&D 1e RAW, so your money has encumbrance - and also doesn't have any form of bank you can deposit your money at.

Thank goodness all those "helpful" shopkeepers have just the solution to help adventurers with such a problem!

 

[Sonny]

They're on GOG as well. In addition to being DRM free, they come with the strategy guides too.

 

[Count_Zero]

Thank goodness all those "helpful" shopkeepers have just the solution to help adventurers with such a problem!

Actually, no. The main money sinks in the game are training expenses and (if you do the Valhingen Graveyard quest) Restoration Spells at the temple.

Because I forgot that the game isn't totally RAW - it doesn't require you to keep track of food and spend money on rations and light sources.

 

[not-so-newguy]

How do these compare to Baldur's Gate 1?

 

[Demetrios1453]

How do these compare to Baldur's Gate 1?

Graphics wise, they are much more primitive.

But they do emulate the 1e/2e rule sets remarkably well.

 

[Count_Zero]

How do these compare to Baldur's Gate 1?

They are graphically closer to the Might & Magic games (the first 2) and mechanically using AD&D 1e instead of 2e. So, very few memorable NPCs with interesting plotlines, the audio is PC speaker (unless you edit the DOSbox settings to enable Tandy audio - which I recommend), no party banter. Think of a cross between Wizardry & Icewind Dale.

The Dragonlance Gold Box games may have more interesting NPCs.